The invention relates to a method for dosing pieces of meat and similar deformable, particulate material by putting this material into a dosing chamber of predetermined capacity with an opening, removing excess material near that opening and thereafter removing the remaining material from said dosing chamber.
A known process for dosing deformable, particulate material utilizes apparatus comprising a rotatable table. In said table a plurality of openings are arranged, forming the upper openings of cylindrical dosing chambers arranged on the underside of the rotatable table. The bottom walls of the chambers are formed by a fixed bottom plate having one discharge opening. The bottom rims of the dosing chambers are slidingly movable on this plate when the table rotates, and once every revolution each bottom opening comes into register with the discharge opening. Alternatively, the chambers are provided with removable bottoms, which may be opened at the discharge station. For dosing different amounts of material, the capacity of the dosing chambers can be changed by adjusting the distance between the table and the bottom plate.
During the operation of this apparatus, the material to be dosed is put on the table, so that it falls into the dosing chambers. Excess material is removed from the opening by a scraper blade or a rotary brush means. Subsequently, the dosing chamber, which is filled to its upper rim, is emptied upon passing across the discharge opening.
The dosing accuracy of this method and the apparatus used therefore is limited if pieces of meat or similar deformable, particulate material are to be handled, since the filling rate of the dosing chambers will not be constant. This is in particular true if the number of pieces required for filling each dosing chamber is relatively small, say under 15.